Food matters

The 'theme' of my life this week seems to have been food security. I'm blessed, in that I have a healthy garden that gives me fresh produce every day -- berries, lettuce, and tomatoes -- and beyond that, I have a pantry that's well stocked. Not everyone is so fortunate. 

Saturday was "Ugly Potato" Day, an annual event sponsored by Heppell Family Farm, a good citizen of

Surrey, to be sure. Hundreds of people came out to the Cloverdale Fair Grounds where huge bins filled with potatoes, carrots, and more were there for the picking -- and free. The photo above is an example of one family's load. 

It's a horrifying thought, but the Heppell farmland is under threat, and at a time when our rising population is certainly placing a demand on farmers to produce more, more, more. If, like me, you think protecting that property is a cause worth supporting, maybe you'll consider signing a petition (along with the over 80,000 who have signed) that says so. 

The other threat to our food security has been the unexpected shutdown of the BC Tree Fruits Co-op. It's an association that's existed since 1936 and it's been a facility where growers could store their fruit, have it graded and marketed, and then shipped to outlets. So here we are -- in the midst of harvest, no less -- and who knows what growers are supposed to do without the co-op. Load up their vehicles and drive to the Lower Mainland? Sell produce out of the back of their car??

This bothered me enough that I wrote to Pam Alexis, the Minister of Agriculture and Food, both at her business address as an MLA and to the address for the Ministry. I cc'ed my local MLA and also sent a copy to the Vancouver Sun. 

The first reply I received was from an assistant to Trevor Halford, my riding's MLA. It at least was somewhat personalized, though didn't address a solution to the issue. The next reply was robotic, an acknowledgment from the Ministry office. Nothing from the Honourable Pam Alexis, MLA. The only correspondent who really came through was the newspaper, who published my letter in yesterday's edition. 

One of the points I raised was that if such a key distribution network had failed elsewhere -- like, in Alberta (where oil remains king), governments of all stripes would have jumped in with cash. All I can hope is that the letter might help raise the pressure on our government to do something to save this year's crop for the fruit growers. After all, a handful of fruit is certainly more satisfying than a handful of oil.